Our Painting holiday retreat in France

INQUIRE NOW FOR 2018

We offer Painting holidays on set dates throughout the year tutored by visiting artists. We are also able to offer a variety of activity holidays such as Pilates and wellbeing or walking holidays, tailor made to suit your own group. If you have a particular activity in mind, please inquire, we may be able to help. We also offer gite accommodation.

Holidays are held at La Salle, our beautifully restored limestone country house, in this little known corner of South West France. The area is known as the Tuscany of France, where winding roads and tiny hilltop villages perch above rolling fields of Sunflowers and vineyards.

Situated in the Tenareze, centre of the Armagnac producing area of the Gers in South West France, La Salle is in a peaceful country setting, but only a 10 minute walk to the picturesque bastide village of St Puy where you can wander up to the delightful Cafe/ Restaurant, 'Chez Vous' and watch the world go by and get a real feel for french country life.

St Puy has it's own 'Boulangerie' where we shop daily for baguettes and croissantes, a charming Pizeria and Chateau Monluc, which makes the fabulous aperitif 'Pousse Rappiere' which will certainly feature in the local menus and at La Salle.

The area is renowned both for its beauty and history. There are 5 of the officially listed most beautiful villages in France, the UNESCO world heritage site at La Romieu and Lectoure and the Roman villa of Seviac with it's amazing mosaics only 20 minutes away.

La Salle is set in meditteraneaen styled terraced gardens with a sunny south facing seating and dining area where pots of geraniums, olive and lemon trees surround you.

The area is often referred to as

'The Tuscany of France'

Artists at work in the Studio.

Summer and bringing in the harvest on the lane to La Salle.

The suntrap by the pool is an ideal place to while away a couple of hours with a good book or to cool off after a day in the studio.

The (5 by 11 metre) pool is open from May - October.

For more inspiration or simply relaxation, an hour or two in a canoe on the river is highly recommended. The Baise is wide and slow and paddling is lazy in the shade of the trees where Kingfishers, Coypu and Dragonflies linger in the sunshine, quite magical.

Lots of inspiration all around us in the gardens of La Salle or in the ancient narrow streets of nearby St Puy. Magnificent Plumbago decorates the doorway to this village house.

The south facing rear terrace overlooking the gardens with many interesting semi tropical plants. Lots of quiet places to sit shaded or sunny where you may paint or (non painters) while away your time with a good book and a glass of Monluc.